ABSTRACT
In people's hearts and minds, Crimea has always been an inseparable part of Russia. After the revolution, the Bolsheviks, for a number of reasons—may God judge them—added large sections of the historical South of Russia to the Republic of Ukraine. In 1954, a decision was made to transfer Crimean Region to Ukraine, along with Sevastopol, despite the fact that it was a federal city. Many people in Russia and in Ukraine, as well as in other republics hoped that the Commonwealth of Independent States that was created at the time would become the new common form of statehood. Russians, just as other citizens of Ukraine are suffering from the constant political and state crisis that has been rocking the country for over 20 years. In 2004, to push the necessary candidate through at the presidential elections, they thought up some sort of third round that was not stipulated by the law.
